Ecuador's casinos to shut down after referendum - Straits Times

Casinos in Ecuador have been given six months to shut up shop, costing about 3,200 people their jobs, after voters approved the change in a referendum, the president's office said on Sunday. -- PHOTO: AFP QUITO (AFP) - Casinos in Ecuador have been given six months to shut up shop, costing about 3,200 people their jobs, after voters approved the change in a referendum, the president's office said on Sunday. President Rafael Correa, a socialist and economist by training, in August told casino owners they would have one to two years to close up shop. But he accelerated the time frame on Sunday, instead giving six months to implement the change approved in a May 7 vote. Workers who lose jobs under the change will be eligible for job retraining. The casinos are mainly in larger hotels often operated by foreign companies. Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by ...